Indian Navy inducts third indigenous stealth frigate INS Sahyadri

Indigenously built stealth warship `INS Sahyadri' was on Saturday commissioned in the Indian Navy, adding firepower to its anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

The frigate, last in the series of stealth warships after `INS Shivalik' and `INS Satpura', was commissioned by Defence Minister A K Antony at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai in presence of Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and senior Naval officials.

INS Sahyadri is the last warship of `Project-17' undertaken by the Navy. The first two in the class -- INS Shivalik and INS Satpura - were commissioned in April 2010 and August 2011, respectively. These ships had been performing various tasks in the Indian Ocean Region.

The 4,900-tonne INS Sahyadri is equipped with some of the most advance surface and air-to-air missiles and can carry two helicopters - a mix of Dhruv, Sea King or Kamov - onboard for various missions.

Along with the capability to launch offensive on enemy vessels, the warship is equipped with advance electronic warfare capabilities and torpedoes to detect and neutralise enemy submarines.

The frigate will also carry BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles. Designed and built by Mazagaon Dockyard Ltd here, the keel of INS Sahyadri was laid in March 2003 and it was taken out for sea trials earlier this year.

The warship will sail with a complement of over 250 officials, including 35 officers, and can attain a speed of over 30 knots. It has an advance sonar and radar system to keep an eye over any enemy movement in deep sea.